New research from VisitBritain shows the power of the Premier League in driving inbound tourism, with more than three-quarters of those surveyed intending to visit the UK during the next two years.

Chinese football fans showed the greatest intention, with 92 percent planning to visit the UK within the next two years, followed by India with 85 percent and the US with 80 percent.

VisitBritain’s ‘International Football Research’ also found that the Premier League had a greater pull for tourists than the top leagues in other countries. Two-thirds, 66 percent, of those who had travelled to watch a football match in the UK saw a Premier League match, making it the most popular. This is compared to 39 percent who had attended a top league match when they had travelled in the name of football outside of the UK.

Premier League Interim Chief Executive Richard Masters explained, “At the Premier League, our aim is to put on the best possible football competition and to engage fans and communities both locally and globally. We benefit from having hugely popular clubs and players who attract people to our competition and to the UK. We put a lot of effort into connecting with our international fans, and that will again be highlighted this summer when four of our clubs visit Nanjing and Shanghai in China for the Asia Trophy. Nothing quite beats the excitement of a match day, being inside a full Premier League ground and seeing a match in the flesh, so it’s very encouraging to hear that so many international visitors want to experience football in this country.”

Manchester United came out as the most popular team, with 70 percent of Premier League followers surveyed supporting them. Liverpool was second with 66 percent and Chelsea came in third with 62 percent. International football fans who followed the Premier League followed an average of six teams, demonstrating the opportunity and importance of football in driving regional tourism.

Latest available research by VisitBritain showed that football is the number one sporting draw for international tourists to the UK, with more than 800,000 international visitors going to a football match each year, spending a total of £684 million during their time in the country. (Tianxing Bai)